A COMMUNITY centre described as a ‘disaster zone’ could be knocked down to make way for affordable housing in a bid to regenerate Rudloe.

Residents have urged councillors during a cabinet meeting to ensure community spaces and popular parking spaces at the building in Leylands Road, that has been closed since last July, are not lost if the development goes ahead.

Representatives from social developer GreenSquare said it was keen to work with the council to create a community space at the closed community building, described as the epitome of rural deprivation.

Councillor for Corsham Philip Whalley said: “There is a need for housing but there is a need for a community centre. Houses don’t make a cohesive community, it is the village hall that makes a community and bring people together to stop isolation. We should be more than aggressive in getting some sort of community asset.”

Phil Bow, of GreenSquare, said: “We would be happy to work with other people and see what we can do holistically.”

He added that while housing was Green Square’s priority, the association would be willing to work with the council to incorporate community spaces into its design.

The council currently has 74 people registered in need of affordable housing in Rudloe.

Cabinet member for spatial planning, development management and property Toby Sturgis said: “It is a disaster zone, and it’s not serving its purpose.

“We will work with GreenSquare while looking at if we can find some extra funding for a playground area.

“We are all enthusiastic to get this right. Affordable housing is definitely needed here.”

An alternative vision for the site included a call to work with budget shops Aldi or Lidl and proposed to provide the village with a shop and hub for those who do not have their own transport to buy groceries.

Councillor for Box and Colerne Brian Mathew told cabinet members that he had written to both and requested more time to allow them to evaluate the site. Cllr Sturgis said he had never seen either budget chain shop on a site as small as the Rudloe site.

The cabinet, sitting in Salisbury on June 12, agreed to engage in negotiations with GreenSquare with a view to a transfer the centre to Green Square for development.